Metal beginning pieces can be mounted on a continuous slide fastener chain having two stringer halves with interdigitated or coupled rows of coupling heads by spreading the coupling elements and fixing the beginning pieces in place. Each with a beginning piece region can thus receive a metal beginning piece and can be bounded by the first slide fastener coupling members of the slide fasteners. This apparatus is part of a machine for manufacturing or assembling slide fasteners. The open slide fastener chain is advanced stepwise by the apparatus.
The slide fastener coupling members can be part of a continuous row of slide fastener coupling members made from a thermoplastic monofilament or can be a plurality of individual slide fastener coupling members made from metal or plastic. The opening of the slide fastener chain is effected for the purpose of mounting the beginning pieces by a spreading finger or similar element.
The known apparatus for mounting or putting on beginning pieces on a slide fastener chain is known to involve considerable effort and expense in regard to kinematics and consequently control engineering. Also its operational reliability needs improvement. That is because the slide fastener chain must be positioned very exactly with the beginning piece regions positionable under the beginning piece setting tool which is moveable up and down. It must be detected and oriented with precision. Up to now the slide fastener chain takes only a passive part in the mounting of the metallic beginning pieces.